LITTLE ROCK (AP) - A joint legislative panel could not reach agreement Wednesday on what constitutional changes could be needed to address education, but did send out two other proposed constitutional amendments.

Legislators agreed on amendments that would extend term limits and bring about annual legislative sessions. The House and Senate are to consider the proposals later.

The Legislature can refer up to three proposed constitutional changes, plus a salaries amendment, to the ballot every other year.

The committee wants to leave one slot open to address the Arkansas Supreme Court's order to improve public schools. Legislators on Wednesday debated whether they should decide on a proposed education amendment and adjourn or whether they should go into recess until the fall and handle the issue then along with other school matters.

Constitutional amendments cannot be considered in a special session, which is the way Gov. Mike Huckabee prefers to deal with the court-mandated education overhaul.

Rep. Jodie Mahony, D-El Dorado, who has offered options to handle education matters, wants to wait until the fall to determine which changes will be necessary and in what format.

The Legislature has commissioned a study to determine what constitutes an adequate education, and that report is due Sept 1.

An amendment offered by Senate Education Chairman Jim Argue, D-Little Rock, would, among other things, authorize the Legislature to set a statewide property tax to support public schools and to issue bonds for construction or repair of school buildings.

The November state Supreme Court ruling declared Arkansas' public school funding system unfair and inadequate and gave the state until next Jan. 1 to provide equal educational opportunities to the state's 450,000 school children.

Argue's amendment also would authorize the state to assume the debt of all public schools, which he said would make the tax burden among districts fairer, and pledge the state's full faith and credit for repaying the indebtedness.

Argue noted that the adequacy study the Legislature awaits will not address school facilities and said the Legislature should act now on his proposal.

"My fear is ... that it's subject to a challenge because we can't point to any specific additional information we're going to have in the fall," he said.

The Senate side of the Joint Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs voted Wednesday to send Argue's amendment forward, but some House members were hesitant, and the meeting ended without resolving the issue.

Senate committee chairman Steve Faris, D-Malvern, said the joint panel could meet again before the Legislature leaves, which could be the end of next week.

"I do think it's important for us to address the education issue one way or another," he said.

The approved term-limits item, by Rep. Travis Boyd, D-Piggott, would give legislators more years to serve.

The proposed amendment would allow House members to serve six two-year terms and senators to serve 12 years - for a total of 24 years. Currently, under voter-approved term limits, members can serve generally a total of 14 years.

The Legislature would meet yearly under a proposed amendment by Sens. Shawn Womack, R-Mountain Home, and Jerry Bookout, D-Jonesboro. The measure would provide for annual 60-day legislative sessions.

If the measures are passed by the House and Senate, voters would consider the proposed amendments on the fall 2004 ballot.